Multiple locker



Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The invention relates to lockers or wardrobes and more especially tounits particularly adapted for use in schools and the like andcomprising a plurality of lockers or wardrobes, the doors of which areprovided with means for simultaneous opening or closing.

An object of the improvement is to provide such a unit comprising aplurality of lockers or oompartments, each provided with a hingedL-shaped doorphaving shelves and hooks on its inner side for supportingclothing and the like, each door being arranged to swing into the spaceVforming the next adjacent locker or compartment, when the doors aremoved to open position.

Another object `is to provide a unit of this character in which theL-shaped doors are connected together by links whereby all of the doorswill be simultaneously moved to( open or closed position by moving anyone of the doors to the desired position.

A further object is to provide a single locking means for locking all ofthe doors in closed position and a single locking means for locking allof the doors in open position.

A still further object is to provide an individually operable door atone end of the unit adapted to engage, and be locked to, the nextadjacent I `shaped door for holding all of said L-shaped doors lockedinclosed position.

Another object is to provide means for individually opening one of theL-shaped doors without unlocking any of the other doo-rs in the unit.

A further object of the improvement is to provide means for circulatinghot air through each locker or compartment.

Y The above objects, together with others which will be apparent fromthe drawing and following description, or which may later be pointedout, may be attained by constructing the irnproved locker unit in themanner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is aperspective View of a locker unit embodying the invention, showing thedoors in open position, partsV being broken away for the purpose ofillustration;

Fig. 2, a top plan View of the unit, with the top wall removed, showingthe doors in the closed position;

Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the L-shaped doors in openposition;

Fig. 4, an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the locking means forlocking the L-shaped doors in open position; and

Fig. 5, an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the hinge and lockingmeans by which one of the L-shaped doors may beindividually opened. iSimilar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved unit is adapted to be installed in a recess formed for thepurpose in a wall of the sohoolroom or other place where the unit isdesired, as in present practice.

The unit is mounted upon a base comprising the horizontal, preferablyperforate wall Ill forming the bottom wall of the several lockers orcompartments, and the depending front and side flanges II and I2respectively, the former preferably being perforated as shown.`

An electric heating element I3 may be located Within this base, beloweach compartment or locker, in order to create a circulation of Warm airupward through the lockers to dry the moisture out of any damp clothingVwhich may be placed therein.

A back wall I4 and side walls I5 are associated with the base, and a topwall I6, preferbly perforated, is mounted over the upper ends of saidback and side walls, defining the space within which the several lockersor compartments are located. As in usual practice, an outlet duct (notshown) may be provided above the perforate top wall I6 to facilitate thecirculation of air through the lockers.

For use in schoolrooms and the like, it may be desirable to provide oneor more individually accessible compartments in the unit, such as thesupply closet indicated generally at I lI, and the teachers lockerindicated generally at I B.

'I'his supply closet may be formed by locating a partition wall I9 atthe desired distance from the adjacent end wall I5 and providing shelves20 orfthe like therein, a door 2I being hinged at one edge to the frontedge portion of the partition wall` I9 or the adjacent end wall I5, asdesired, and arranged to be individually locked as by the lock 22. I

In like manner the teachers locker I8 may be formed by spacing thepartition wall 23 the desired distance from the other end wall I5, adoor 24 being hinged at one edge to the front edge portion of the wallI5 and provided with a lock 25 so that said door 24 may be individuallylocked. One or more shelves 26 provided with garment hangers or hooks2'I may be located within the teachers locker or compartment I8.

The remainder of the space inthe unit may be divided into any desirednumber of compartments or lockers of substantially equal size and shape,for the use of pupils, four such compartments being shown in theaccompanying drawing for 55 the purpose of illustration. With thearrangement shown in the drawing, three L-shaped doors 28 are providedto close three of the pupils compartments or lockers, while theright-hand compartment or locker of the pupils section of the unit,indicated generally at 29, is arranged to be closed by the flat door 3E)hinged as at 3B to the front edge of the partition wall 23.

The L-shaped doors 28 are adapted to be connected together forsimultaneous opening or closing andfor this purpose links 3| may bepivotally connected as at 32 to the several L-shaped doors, preferablybeing connected to the upper edges of said doors as shown. TheseL-shaped doors are hinged at their inner edges to any suitable verticalsupporting means upon the back wall I4, such as the T-shaped members 33which may be formed by placing two angle members together for attachmentof the hinges 34 which carry the doors.

As shown inthe drawing, each'L-shaped door 28 comprises a back portionhinged to the back wall I4 and adapted to form a partition deninglockercompartm'ents, when the doors are in closed position ,as shown inFig. 2, and to lie parallel to the back wall I4 when the doors are inopen position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and a front portion forming aclosure for the corresponding locker compartment when the doors Yare inclosed position.

L-shaped shelves 35 provided with garment hangers or hooks 36 may becarried upon the inner sides of the L-shaped doors 28. Similar shelves35a may be mounted within the left-hand end of the space forming thepupils compartments or lockers so that additional garments may beiplacedin this compartment, as best shownin Fig. 2.

Shelves 35h provided with garment hangers or Vhooks are provided on theinside of the door 30 so that all of the space provided for the pupilslockers or compartments is made available for storage of garments andthe like. The swinging edge of the door 30 is, adapted to engage in anotch or recess S'lin theV outer corner of the adjacent L-shaped door 28when in closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, a lock 38 being providedupon the door 3G for lock'mg said door and all of the L-shaped doors 28in closed position, as shown in said gure.

For the purpose of locking all of the L-shaped doors in open position, aspring pressed bolt 39 maybe carried by the right-hand L-shaped door 28for engagement in a suitable keeper or recess 4in the partition wall 23,the spring 4| normally urging the bolt into locked position, while anysuitable cam mechanism, as indicated generally at 42, may be providedfor withdrawing the bolt kby rotation of the knurled knob 43.

It may, be desirable to provide for individual access to one of thecompartments closed by one of the L-shaped doors 28. For this purpose,one of the L-shaped doors may have the outer panel 28a thereof hingedlyconnected to the inner panel as at 44, a lock or latch 45 being providedfor normally holding the hinged panel 28 rigidly in position upon thevinner panel of said door but permitting the same to be unlocked andindividually swung open as shown in broken lines in Fig, 2.

I claim:

. l1. A locker unit including a back wall and a side wall, a pluralityof L-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon theback wall and forming partitions dening locker compartments when thedoors are in closed position and being parallel to the back wall whenthe doors are in open position, and front portions forming closures forthe locker compartments when the doors are in closed position, and meansoperatively connecting said doors together where- 5 by all of the doorsmay be opened or closed simultaneously.

2. A locker unit including a back wall and side walls, a plurality ofL-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon the back10 Y wall and forming partitions defining locker compartments when thedoors are in closed position and being parallel to the back wall whenthe doors are in open position, and front portions forming closures forthe locker compartments l5 when the doors are in closed position, meansoperatively connecting said doors together whereby all of the doors maybe opened or closed simultaneously, and a flat door hinged to one sidewall and adapted to engage the nearest L-shaped 2O door in closedposition to vretain all of the L- shaped doors in closed position.

3. A locker unit including a back wall and a side wall, a plurality ofL-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon the 25back wall and forming partitions dening locker compartments when thedoors are in closed position and being parallel to the back wall whenthe doors are in open position, and front portions forming closures forthe locker compart- 30 ments when the doors are in closed position,means operatively connecting said doors together whereby all of thedoors may be opened or closed simultaneously, and means for locking theL- shaped doors in open position. 35

4. A locker unit including a back Wall and a side wall, a plurality ofL-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon the backWall and forming partitions defining locker compartments when the doorsare in closed position 40 andbeing parallel to the back wall when thedoors are in open position, and front portions forming closures for thelocker compartments when the doors are in closed position, meansoperatively connecting said doors together whereby 45 all of the doorsmay be opened or closed simultaneously, means for locking the L-shapeddoors in open position and means for locking the L- shaped doors inclosed position.

Y 5. A locker unit including a back wall and a 50 side wall, a pluralityof L-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon theback wall and forming partitions dening locker compartments when thedoors are in closed position and being parallel to the back wall when 55the doorsare in open position, and iront portions forming closures `forthe locker compartments when the doors are in closed position, and linkspivotally connecting said -doors together whereby all of the doors maybe opened or closed si- 60 multaneously.

6. Al'ocker unit including a back wall and a side wall, a plurality ofL-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon the backwall and forming partitions defining locker compartments when the doorsare in closed position and being parallel to the back wall when thedoors are in open position, and front portions forming closures for thelocker compart- 7 ments when the doors are in closed position, meansoperatively connecting said doors together whereby all of the doors maybe opened or closed simultaneously, one of said L-shaped doors beingyformed of two Asimilar Vflat panels hingedly 75 connected together, andmeans for locking said panels in L-shape.

7. A locker unit including a back wall and side Walls, a plurality ofL-shaped doors including back portions hinged at one edge upon the backWall and forming partitions dening locker conipartments When the doorsare in closed position and being parallel to the back Wall when thedoors are in open position, and front portions 10 forming closures forthe locker compartments when the doors are in closed position, meansoperatively connecting said doors together whereby all of the doors maybe opened or closed simultaneously, a flat door hinged to one side Walland adapted to engage a. recess in the nearest L- shaped door in closedposition, and locking means between the at door and last named L-shapeddoor to retain all of the L-shaped doors in closed position.

STACEY BESST, JR.

